Marie Curie Cancer Care is the proud Charity Partner of the Etape Pennines, recently hailed as brutal and beautiful.

More challenging than Etape Caledonia, Etape Pennines will see you take on the 78 mile course amidst the picturesque backdrop of County Durham and experience the thrill of closed-road cycling with hundreds of fellow cyclists.

Watch highlights from the 2012 Etape Pennines

You’ll be helping us reach our goal of raising over £130,000 in 2013, which will help provide over 6,500 hours of Marie Curie Nursing across the UK.

How to register

We are calling on all cyclists taking part in the Etape Series to raise funds for Marie Curie by joining our Daffodil Team. If you take up one of the pledge places, committing to raise a minimum of £250 to help people with terminal illnesses, your £63 registration fee gets waived as a little thank you from the organisers.

Otherwise, it costs £63 (payable to the organisers) for a place and you can register via the Etape Pennines website.

We are proudly supported by Pro cycling Team NetApp-Endura and as a member of the Daffodil Team you’ll get great tips from the top. Their experts will be supporting you by giving exclusive advice and tips to our cyclists on training, keeping your nutrition levels high and how to prepare for the event itself. We will, of course, also be on hand to give you tips and support to help you with your fundraising.

If you already have your own place on the event and would like to join the Daffodil Team then simply call our friendly support team on 0845 052 4184 or email etapeseries@mariecurie.org.uk

Summer cycling is all very well, but staying in the saddle through autumn and winter takes a bit more effort. Here’s how to make the most of it.

1. Relax!

We’ve all watched with pity from behind a car or bus window as an unlucky cyclist struggles through an unexpected downpour, and silently thanked the nearest available deity that we’re not in their soaking wet shoes.

But while this nightmare scenario isn’t unheard of, it’s actually much less common than you’d think. Even if you’re a dedicated daily cycle commuter, you’d be unlucky to get properly rained on more than five or six times in the course of a winter.

Of course you do need to take a few extra steps to stay safe and comfortable, but nine times out of ten, winter rides are an absolute pleasure.